's Low Participation in FutureSkills PRIME Programme Highlights Digital Skill Gaps

Kohima, India Aug 16, 2026 ALN: Morung Express News
Dimpaur | August 16

remains among the lowest-participating States in the Northeast under the Centre’s FutureSkills PRIME programme, with only 250 candidates enrolled/trained and 118 completing/certified under the digital skilling initiative, according to data placed in the Lok Sabha.

Among the eight North Eastern States, only Mizoram (91) and Arunachal Pradesh (150) recorded fewer enrolled/trained candidates than . The 118 certified candidates from were also higher only than Mizoram’s 40 and Arunachal Pradesh’s 52.

The figures were provided by the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on August 12 in response to a Lok Sabha question regarding the implementation of FutureSkills PRIME, a joint initiative with NASSCOM for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling in emerging technologies.

In comparison, Assam recorded 6,074 enrolled/trained and 2,874 certified candidates, while Tripura had 1,663 enrolled/trained and 1,146 certified. Meghalaya recorded 556 and 295 respectively, while Manipur had 653 enrolled/trained and 232 certified. Sikkim recorded 753 enrolled/trained and 371 certified.

Taken together, the eight North Eastern States recorded 10,190 enrolled/trained candidates and 5,128 certified candidates. ’s 250 enrolled/trained candidates account for only about 2.5% of this combined figure.

At the broader regional level, however, the Centre stated that more than 33,000 candidates in the North Eastern and Himalayan region have been enrolled/trained through the FutureSkills PRIME portal, with more than 16,000 completing/certifying their courses. The statement did not provide a State-wise breakup of this broader regional figure beyond the table.

As per the Ministry, the “FutureSkills PRIME” (FSP) was jointly initiated with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling of candidates in new/emerging technologies, aimed at making India a cutting-edge digital talent nation.

The programme currently offers more than 500 industry-aligned courses in emerging areas including Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things, Cyber Security, Blockchain, and AR/VR. Nationally, more than 34 lakh candidates have registered, with over 23 lakh enrolled/trained and more than 13 lakh completing/certified. Women constitute 41% of participants, while over 86% are from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

The FSP is a Central Sector Scheme, with funding allocated centrally rather than State-wise, and its allocation has increased from Rs 26.59 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 137.17 crore in 2026-27.

Tourism Footfall Among Lowest in NE
Meanwhile, recorded 1,27,428 domestic tourist visits and 5,425 foreign tourist visits in 2025, taking its total reported tourist footfall to 1,32,853, according to a reply by the Union Tourism Minister in the Lok Sabha on August 10.

The figure was the second-lowest total tourist footfall in the Northeast, after Manipur at 28,173. In foreign tourist visits, 's 5,425 was higher than Arunachal Pradesh’s 4,582, placing third-lowest among the eight States.

For January-June 2026, recorded 27,305 domestic and 1,131 foreign tourist visits, or 28,436 in total. This was the second-lowest total and domestic footfall, after Manipur. In foreign visits, however, was the lowest.

The Minister’s reply noted that the Centre promotes Northeast tourism through the Incredible India Digital Platform, promotional activities, fairs and festivals, and infrastructure schemes including Swadesh Darshan 2.0, PRASHAD, SASCI, and Challenge Based Destination Development.

has also received Central Financial Assistance for festivals including the Hornbill, Sekrenyi, Rengma’s Ngadah, Thuwu-Ni, Sukhrunye, Ahuna, and Runa. The annexure lists Rs 25 lakh for the 2023-24 Cuisine and Music Festival at Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, and Rs 30 lakh for the 2024-25 Autumn Fest.

EV Uptake Remains Low
Electric mobility data provide another indication of low uptake in . Under FAME-II, just six EVs were sold in 2022-23 and 2023-24, the lowest among the eight NE States, according to Lok Sabha data provided on July 28.

A separate Rajya Sabha reply on August 7, giving the FAME-II status as of March 31, 2026, lists eight EVs supported in , against 16,71,606 nationally.

Under PM E-DRIVE, had 13 EVs supported as of July 22, 2026, again the lowest among the NE States, against 26,54,117 nationally, it added. had 23 EV public charging stations under FAME-II. Another 198 chargers were sanctioned for the NE through oil marketing companies.

Job-Card Deletions Rise
MGNREGS data show 2,86,636 households demanded work in 2025-26, while 1,38,208 did so in 2026-27 as of June 2026. Meanwhile, 73,029 job cards were deleted between January 2021 and July 22, 2026. Of these, 33,916 were deleted in 2025 and 23,500 in 2026 up to July 22.

The Rural Development Ministry’s reply in the Lok Sabha on July 28 noted that States and UTs are responsible for issuing, verifying, updating, and deleting job cards, with deletions subject to a SOP issued in January 2025.